Catherine

There is a utility (free!) that STOPS those installs and pop-ups permanently. We have it installed on all of our computers and it's great. Info here: Gwx Control Panel

One of the nice things we did for my mother-in-law almost ten years ago was arrange a local party with all three of her sons attending. First time they had all been home at once in decades. The habit got established early that each would go out once a year, roughly one every four months. Great for dealing with house issues and chores too heavy for their dad (and later, just their mom) but not for togetherness. We have nice pictures from that event for her memorial.

Yes, especially now with the new Form 3115 repair regs. Depreciated except for any needed repair portion. Brief example: expense decking/fascia/gutter repairs from a hole where a tree branch hit the roof, then capitalize the new roof itself.

Unfortunately, @MsTabbyKats I have to mostly agree with Jack (while admitting that tact is *not* his strongest skill). For your own sake you MUST let it go -- at the most, have a referral to the bad-preparer reporting form and a referral to another tax professional in your area ready to send. then wash your hands of it. Otherwise, YOU are paying - in aggravation and worry and general upset and second-guessing your prior decision - and getting nothing in return but greater upset. For your OWN sake -- take it back, or let it go. But pick one. You are only hurting yourself by sitting on the fence, agonizing over every mistake BY SOMEONE ELSE, while being powerless to fix it and without even getting paid to do the worrying. And your situation is very instructive to ME, as I do plan on selling this year. I am just starting to realize how much of me is wrapped up in this business - and that has to STOP. Or there is no point in selling.

stalker stalker!! lol

Set up an auto-respond so everyone who emails you gets it automatically, too.

This one was a low-limit card for online purchases. The first couple of charges were low amounts that would not have set off any bells - probably testing the number. Then they went for an almost $700 purchase. That probably set off the alerts, upon which they held every charge for the prior couple of days.

There was one a few months ago at WalMart - someone tried to buy a laptop online and have it shipped to Brooklyn. Don't know how they got my card number as I never save cards at stores and in fact had not made any WalMart purchases online in years - long before the card in question existed. Looking back, it was the same card company. Wonder if there is any connection there. Yes, it could have been much worse. It was also a great way to start off my morning. Here in MA, state taxes are due today, so I'm not even quite done with the tax season!

So this morning I get a notice that my credit card was used several times yesterday for large purchases. After a half-hour with the fraud department (and that after wrestling with a voice menu system designed by truly evil people), the bad charges are canceled and a new card is on the way. All I have to do is notify ALL the places it gets used. Ugh. If I ever get my hands in the guy, I'm going to give him a BIG hug in Rita's back yard.

For you,Tom, I would try! I would also stop responding to this utter LOSER. She is going to be pissed no matter what (she IS pissed and is not willing to admit you deserve a life that includes dinner and not being chained to your desk). If she gives you no respect, she GETS no respect. Politeness, yes, because of YOUR level of professionalism. But you are under NO obligation to listen to(/read/whatever) in-person, voice mail, email, or text messages that treat you like dirt.

Should be uninstalled. Security vulnerabilities that will NOT be fixed. Info here: Quicktime on Windows and article linked from this one (all safe).

Such tiny boys; I bet you can still fit all three on your lap at once!

Crap; KNEW I was forgetting something - thanks for the reminder, @joanmcq! Except this year will be very different (full-year retired husband) and I have to calculate it. I think that first quarterly is just going to be a few days late.

I can assure you they already have.

Well, there's your excuse. The wrong glasses!

Uninstall. That's what I did. I needed it for one support session; installed it just prior, uninstalled it right after.

When I really need to get stuff *done* without interruption, I turn the phone ringer off and close my email program. Sometimes all I need is a half-hour to concentrate on something gnarly, then I can reply to whomever. And I really like they "you're now at the bottom of the pile" tactic and will ponder using it.

If that's the case, just pretend she's a doctor! Seriously, I have several clients whose "signatures" are so bad you might think they were done by a two-year old scribbling. The key point is competence.

Yes; knowing when to stop, whether for the day or the season, is very important. With our computer issues this year, I decided to put in all extensions the first week of April. I'm still working, still finishing returns -- but knowing that all those clients are already on extension. So I am taking my time and working carefully. ALL my stress this year was March 22 - 30 with the computer problems.

That's good advice. I see all manner of weird entries in Box 14. It gets used for state-specific items, for employer-paid items, informational tidbits, and more.

Thanks, Judy. Issue for me was the wording in the IRS pubs that talked about an AGI-based "taxable compensation" limitation that said nothing about earned income/wages in their definition of compensation. I finally found code section 219(f) and sure enough you have it spot-on. And I was not crazy. At least, not because of this.

One or two more returns to file (just waiting for 8879's to come in). Double-checked all extensions yesterday and had them all but one or two which are now filed. A couple of emails to return, then I turn my attention to quarterly payroll issues. Oh, and getting my own QB re-installed on this machine. Possibly seeing if the boat anchor machine can be revived. Sigh.

Laundry to fully cleanse his shirts. Sunscreen since he's standing outside. Hand sanitizer between clients.

I have a similar case; clients had coverage, state dropped the ball. Kept asking for proof of income and proof of residence which were supplied multiple times. They are getting a penalty that they should NOT have to pay as they had been working to resolve the issue for months before coverage was dropped. State paperwork even states THEY were at fault, not clients! So what *is* the solution here: mark them as having coverage, and use the state letter as proof it was NOT their fault?

Bump. Anyone else have comments for me?